Does my preschooler qualify for P-EBT/Summer EBT (Sun Bucks) with CalFresh?

The Summer EBT program (officially called Summer EBT, but sometimes called Sun Bucks) does cover preschoolers, but there are specific requirements. For your son to qualify in 2025: 1) He needs to be enrolled in a preschool that participates in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, 2) Your family must be receiving CalFresh benefits OR be income-eligible, and 3) He must be enrolled in a qualifying program during the school year. Since you're already on CalFresh, the income requirement is met. The key is whether his preschool participates in the federal meal programs. I would call his preschool and specifically ask if they participate in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program.

my kid got the sun bucks last year and he was 5, they loaded it on a seperate card not our regular ebt card. think it was like $120 for summer? not sure about 4 yr olds tho

The rules for Summer EBT (Sun Bucks) for preschoolers can be confusing because they've changed the program several times since it started. For 2025, here's what you need to know: - Preschoolers CAN qualify if they attend a school/preschool that participates in federal meal programs - Being on CalFresh doesn't automatically qualify your child - it's about the SCHOOL participation - You need to check with your specific preschool to see if they're a qualifying institution - Some Head Start programs qualify, others don't - The benefit is approximately $40/month per eligible child during summer months You don't need to apply separately if your child attends a participating school - they're supposed to automatically issue cards based on school enrollment data. But I'd recommend calling your county office to verify your son is in their system correctly with his school information.

Im on CalFresh too and NONE of my kids got those summer benefits last year even though they told us they would!!! My neighbor's kids got them but mine didn't and we're on the SAME programs!!! The system is so broken. They probably "lost" our paperwork again like they always do. When I called they just kept me on hold for 45 minutes and then hung up. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I'm so sick of it!!!

My daughter was 4 last year and didn't qualify because her preschool wasn't a "participating institution" whatever that means. But my 6yo and 8yo both got the summer benefits automatically. The whole thing is super confusing and it seems like every county does it differently? Maybe check if your preschool is state-funded or private because I think that matters too.

Just to add to the confusion lol - the benefit is called different things depending on who you talk to. The official name is Summer EBT for 2025, but some counties still call it P-EBT (Pandemic EBT) from when it started, and then some people call it Sun Bucks. All the same program though! And yes, 4-year-olds can qualify if they attend qualifying preschools. My daughter got it last year at age 4.

One more important detail - if your child qualifies, the Summer EBT benefits should be automatically issued. You don't need to submit a separate application like you did during the pandemic years. The state is supposed to use data from schools and CalFresh to determine eligibility and issue cards automatically. But as others have mentioned, the system isn't perfect, so it's worth following up with your county office to make sure your son's information is correctly linked in their system.

I just wanted to share that in my experience, following up with the county office BEFORE summer starts makes a huge difference. Last year, families who proactively checked their children's eligibility status in May were able to resolve issues before the benefit distribution started. Those who waited until July or August to check often missed out because of the backlog of requests. So definitely call your CalFresh office soon to verify your son's status!

Just wanted to add that you can also check if your preschool participates in the federal meal programs by looking them up on the California Department of Education's website. They have a searchable database of schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program. This might save you a phone call and give you the info right away! The database is usually pretty up-to-date, and if your son's preschool is listed there, he should definitely qualify for Summer EBT as long as you're on CalFresh.